I'm a sucker for both of these genres, even though I frequently end up being let down. But there are a couple of under-the-radar horror movies coming out soon, and they deserve a little bit of our time. So let's take a look, shall we?

The first one is The Rift, which has the vaguest of synopses: After radar anomalies start appearing all over the world, strange rifts are starting to form in the sky. There is something hiding behind these rifts. It's moving.

Then again, watch the trailer -- that pretty much nails it. It's written and directed by first-timer Robert Kouba, and it's got some promise to it. I always like the sort of Lovecraftian "monsters from beyond space" stories, and this one flirts with that a little. Unfortunately, with its low budget and no-name cast, I fear we might be destined for another massive disappointment in the vein of Skyline (oy... that movie, I swear). But let's try to think positive. No? OK, fuck it.

The next one comes from Barry Levinson, who has directed some absolutely brilliant pictures, including Good Morning Vietnam, Sleepers, Wag The Dog, and The Natural. But he's had a few clunkers, too. And now he's wading into the found footage genre, hand-in-hand with the producers of the seemingly endless Paranormal Activity franchise. This one is about a government cover-up about infected waters and bugs of some sort and people going all crazy on each other. I dunno, it feels like the reality TV version of Contagion, no?